Chapter 3: Snatched Back from Death

Two long, straight legs lay exposed, pale as jade with a faint sheen, like a masterpiece shaped by the Creator's own hand, the kind that made people want to linger and admire. Liam Cutmore had no mind for that. All his focus locked onto a tiny black speck on Olivia Yale's thigh. "Essence-Devouring Worm…" His gaze sharpened. The Essence-Devouring Worm was one of the most vicious techniques of Worm Sorcery from the Veyra Marches. Anyone struck by it would have their Essence, Energy, and Spirit gnawed away until their breath cut out for a short time. Worse, it hid itself so well that ordinary medical exams could not detect it at all. That was how Olivia ended up looking dead. "This thing is cruel, but it won't kill her outright," Liam thought. "If someone wanted her dead, why not use Poison Worms that end it on the spot?" "Unless…" His eyes cooled. "Unless the killer has other plans." The suspicion flickered through him, then he discarded it. He flipped his palm and slapped it down onto Olivia's thigh. Whoever tried to harm Olivia, the Frost Immortal Physique belonged to him. No one else got to covet it. Startled, the Essence-Devouring Worm began to flee in a frantic rush. Liam's hand moved again and again, chasing it without giving it a moment to breathe. By sheer bad luck, the worm darted up to Olivia's full chest. Liam pinned it with one firm press. An unfamiliar softness surged into his palm. For anyone else, that single touch would have sent the mind wandering. Liam did not even blink. He tightened his hand, forcing the Essence-Devouring Worm out. That was when the door swung open. Gina Warth and Ethan Yale walked in mid-argument. "I told you, Liam isn't a bad kid. Why won't you believe me?" Gina insisted. "Relax. Liam would never do anything to our daughter-" Her words died in her throat. She stared, stunned, at Liam's hand pressed against Olivia's chest. "L-Liam, you…" Ethan erupted, eyes bloodshot as he roared, "I told you this convict was no good, and you wouldn't listen!" "Our daughter is already dead, and he still dares to defile her!" "Get your hand off her. Right now!" He lashed out with a vicious kick. Liam shifted slightly and avoided it with ease. Ethan's foot met nothing. He nearly stumbled, and the fury in him only burned hotter. "You bastard! You still dare to dodge?" He snapped his head up and bellowed, "Someone, get in here! Break his arms and legs and throw him out!" Clatter, clatter, clatter! Several bodyguards stormed in and surrounded Liam, faces hard with aggression. Their young miss had died, and this animal still dared to lay hands on her. They wanted nothing more than to tear him apart. They surged forward. "If you're not afraid to die," Liam said, voice cutting like ice, "then come." The words carried a crushing authority, like thunder rolling over a mountain. The bodyguards froze in place, seized by instinctive dread. Ethan's heart jolted, panic rising before he could stop it. What kind of eyes were those? One glance made the scalp prickle, as if the soul itself was being dragged toward the abyss. It felt like staring at death. Was that a convict's gaze? "Enough. All of you, back off," Gina snapped, waving the bodyguards away. Her expression stayed grim as she turned to Liam. "Liam, I trust the kind of person you are." "But you need to tell me the truth. What is going on here?" Liam had always felt warmth toward Gina. He reined in his presence and softened his voice. "Mom, I'm treating Olivia." Gina blinked. "Treating her?" Ethan spat, "Bullshit!" "Olivia is dead. What 'treatment' are you talking about?" "I think you're just lusting after her looks!" "You filthy beast. You won't even leave my daughter's corpse alone!" Liam ignored him and looked only at Gina. "Mom, please believe me. I really am treating Olivia." "You mean… my daughter isn't dead?" Gina's face lit up- Then the light faded almost at once. The hospital had already declared it. How could she not be dead? Liam explained, "Olivia was hit with a worm. She didn't truly stop breathing." "I just need a simple treatment, and she'll be fine." Ethan snorted. "Stop spewing nonsense. Do you think you're the King of Hell, controlling who lives and dies?" "You're a convict. What could you possibly know?" "Get out. Don't disturb my daughter's rest." Cold anger rose in Liam's chest. His voice dropped into a blade's edge. "Do you really think that just because you're Olivia's father, I won't touch you?" A terrifying pressure burst from him. Ethan's back went icy. In that instant, Liam felt like a slaughtering god, as if he might kill him at any second. Ethan turned his head away, unable to meet those eyes. "This is insane," he thought wildly. "He's clearly a convict. Why does he feel like this?" Still, pride forced his mouth into a hard line. "Hmph. Remember what you said. If you can't save my daughter, you'll regret it." He threw down the threat with a livid face and stormed out. As the eldest son of the Yale Family, he had been frightened twice in a row by a convict. He could not bear to stay. Gina sighed and spoke gently, trying to smooth things over. "Liam, your dad only loves Olivia. He just… he couldn't stand the thought of her not even being at peace after she's gone." "We're family, at least for the moment. Don't hold it against him, alright?" Liam smiled. "Mom, don't worry. I'm not that petty." "Good, good…" Gina finally let out a breath. Olivia was gone, and she had finally gotten a son-in-law she could tolerate. She was counting on Liam to support her in her old age. The last thing she wanted was the family tearing itself apart. Liam said no more. He raised his hand and struck Olivia's chest again. "Liam… can you really bring Olivia back?" Gina asked, eyes shining with desperate hope. People did not return from death. But what if… "Of course." Liam smiled with calm confidence. "If the King of Hell says someone dies at midnight, and I refuse, what can he do about it?" His hand began to move in rapid succession, flowing like drifting clouds and running water, profound and unfathomable. Anyone who understood medicine would have been struck speechless. What Liam used was a medical art lost for a thousand years: Floating Cloud Hands. When the clouds drifted in, all ailments scattered. Liam's Second Master was a divine healer, someone who could snatch the dying back and knit flesh to bone. Liam had long surpassed his teacher's shadow. Dealing with a mere Essence-Devouring Worm was nothing. Yet as Gina watched him pat and press again and again, the fragile spark of hope she had just dared to kindle vanished without a trace. A few casual slaps could bring someone back to life? How could that be possible… "Wretched thing," Liam suddenly barked, voice like a thunderclap. "If you won't die, what are you waiting for?" A tiny blood-red worm shot out from Olivia's chest. Liam struck once. It burst. A soft cough followed. Olivia Yale, the woman everyone had already accepted as dead, slowly opened her eyes.